1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content reproduction device and a control method of the content reproduction device, for achieving a bidirectional content delivery service with the cooperation of broadcasting and communications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In tandem with the advancement of network technologies, the number of terminals connected to the Internet has dramatically increased, and new services based on the cooperation of conventional broadcasting services and network-based communications services have emerged. Broadcasting services are advantageous in that, through one-to-many broadcasting, a plurality of users can simultaneously enjoy a service.
As it has become possible to add, to such broadcasting services, network-based services, bidirectional services with the cooperation of broadcasting and communications are considered to become popular in near future.
More specifically, For example, under a bidirectional service with the cooperation of broadcasting and communications, contents are broadcasted on broadcast waves and received by receiving terminals (content reproduction devices) of many users. Those content reproduction devices receiving the contents can respond to the contents via a communications service. For example, access to a related information service is carried out via a network, based on information of an access target (e.g. server), which information is included in the delivered contents.
In the bidirectional services, service providers who provide contents are required to satisfy users' diversified needs and to provide fine-tuned services.
To achieve these requirements, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-115361 (published on May 7, 1996) discloses a technique in which, user-specific information is extracted based on a user identifier for specifying the user, and a user-specific service is added to common service information (for example, user-specific contents suitable for each user are delivered).
According to the technique above, however, it is not possible to provide fine-tuned services corresponding to diversified needs of the users, if the technique is adopted to push-model services such as one-to-many broadcasting of contents.
In addition to the above, the most suitable content to be reproduced by a content reproduction device of the aforesaid patent document changes in line with use conditions (e.g. which content is supplied (reproduced)). The technique of the patent document above cannot take into consideration this change.
In other words, to provide fine-tuned services corresponding to diversified needs of the users, each content reproduction device is required to make a change to a delivered content in line with the use conditions, and reproduce the most appropriate content at a suitable timing.